Things That Actually Matter from Cubs Spring Training Opener
The Chicago Cubs kicked off Cactus League play on Friday as their spring training opener came against the White Sox. The Cubs lost 8-1, so cancel the season. Ha! Well, we know that’s not true yet, it might only be Feb. 20, and the results of these games do not matter, but I’m here to tell you three things that might actually matter as we all begin this journey together toward the regular season.
Seiya Suzuki’s Power
Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki hit the team’s first home run of spring training. The right-handed hitter got a 2-2 fastball down the middle of the plate from White Sox righty Jonathan Cannon and didn’t miss it. Suzuki’s first-inning blast went over the fence in left-center field at 103.7 mph off his bat.
In 2025, Cubs fans saw a noticeable change in Suzuki’s approach as he started to become much more aggressive at the plate. The Japanese hitter does have an excellent eye at the plate, but at times it did appear as though Suzuki was way too passive early in counts that dug him in a hole. After hitting a total of 55 home runs in his first three seasons combined with the Cubs, Suzuki belted 31 home runs in 2025.
The Cubs will need Suzuki’s power to keep up if they want to sustain success on offense in 2026. Despite Kyle Tucker’s second-half decline a year ago, he definitely brought a power element that was missing from previous Cubs rosters. Now, Tucker is gone and Suzuki will be the primary right fielder, while also staying in the lineup to DH against left-handed pitchers.
Suzuki has been a consistent producer for the Cubs, posting a 118, 127, 137 and 123 wRC+ during the first four years of his MLB career. Yet, the Cubs would obviously want to see him put all strengths together in 2026, and really become an elite hitter.
Plus, with free agency on the horizon, Suzuki might have even more motivation to have a big power year.
The power is there and if Suzuki can tap into at a higher clip, then he’ll top his 2025 season this year.
Porter Hodge Struggles
Trying to break down pitchers in spring training is tough. Sometimes they’re only working on one specific pitch or their outing is all about location. Again, the end results don’t matter, but man was it rough watching Porter Hodge on Friday.
He’s the latest example of why it is so difficult to count on reliever performance from year to the next. In 2024, Hodge broke out and became the closer down the stretch as a rookie. Heading into 2025, Hodge was the set-up man to begin the year and was eventually given a shot to close again after Ryan Pressly was demoted, but Hodge simply wasn’t the same.
The right-handed reliever struggled with injuries last season and he could not stick in the bullpen once he returned from the injured list. This year may not be a make or break season for Hodge, but there’s no doubt that his chances of being in the bullpen are up in the air as spring training gets underway.
The front office signed five relievers in free agency, so the competition for one of those eight bullpen spots is fierce and Hodge not being able to find the strike zone isn’t going to help his odds. In Friday’s game against the White Sox, Hodge threw 25 pitches and only eight were for strikes. It gets worse though because here’s how those eight strikes were broken down: 1 hit, 2 foul balls, 3 strikes called, 2 swings and misses.
A 20% CStr+Whiff rate is bad. I know, we’re not supposed to overreact to spring training, believe me I know, but Hodge has to look good if he wants to be on the Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, this was a poor first impression for him. Good news? He’s still got plenty of time to turn it around, but it was more of the same type of 2025 struggles on Friday.